What to Know
More than 20 years after the tragic Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colo., one of the survivors from the school, now an adult, shared the contents of her backpack in a TikTok. The former student, whose name is Cindy Maudsley, says in her video that the one item she took out before the would-be time capsule unveiling was a Lunchable she had left in there the day of the shooting in which 12 students and one teacher were shot and killed.
Now, people across the United States remember April 20 as the anniversary of the tragic mass shooting, especially since there are now survivors who have spoken about what it was like to be at the school at the time of the shooting and even afterward. Cindy’s backpack is a reminder of how “normal” the day began, and it’s a heavy ‘what’s in my bag’ moment for anyone.
Her backpack is like a piece of American history.
@littlestickerhoodshop Edit: Thank you for all the kind comments and well wishes. I'll try to respond to questions. In the meantime, I take back what I said about kids these days not taking handwritten notes at school. 😅 I think it goes without saying that first and foremost my heart and thoughts are ALWAYS with those who lost their lives that day, and my intention of this video is not to take away from them at all. Sharing what is in my backpack is meant to give a glimpse into the late 90's while also sharing an important part of history and honoring what my life looked like "before" . 🤍💙🤍💙 Cassie Bernall, 17 Steven Curnow, 14 Corey DePooter, 17 Kelly Fleming, 16 Matthew Kechter, 16 Daniel Mauser, 15 Daniel Rohrbough, 15 William "Dave" Sanders, 47 Rachel Scott, 17 Isaiah Shoels, 18 John Tomlin, 16 Lauren Townsend, 18 Kyle Velasquez, 16 We are…. Columbine
♬ original sound – Cindy | Stickers | Etsy Tips
In Cindy’s video, she shows her used lip glosses left in her bag, a pocket full of notes she and her friends had passed to each other, lotion, and even a compact with a bit of makeup powder left. For anyone else, the backpack might be a fun reminder of those early high school days. Cindy was a freshman at the time of the shooting, after all. But for Cindy, the backpack is a reminder of a moment in time sort of standing still at Columbine High School.
“I think it goes without saying that first and foremost my heart and thoughts are ALWAYS with those who lost their lives that day, and my intention of this video is not to take away from them at all,” Cindy wrote in the caption. “Sharing what is in my backpack is meant to give a glimpse into the late 90s while also sharing an important part of history and honoring what my life looked like ‘before.'”
She also shares binders covered in pictures of 90s heartthrobs cut out of magazines, as so many of us did back in the day. She even shows some classwork she completed during her third period on April 20, 1999. She says in the video, “Fifth period was when everything started, so this is kind of crazy to see.”
After Cindy posted the video, people commented to share their support for her and thank her for sharing a glimpse into her life at the time of the shooting that many still remember today.
“I’m not joking when I say this is a deeply important piece of history,” someone commented.
Another wrote, “When I heard you say “freshman at Columbine” my heart dropped, and I wanted to give you a hug. I’m so sorry you went through that trauma.”
For some, the weight of Cindy being a student at Columbine during the mass shooting didn’t hit right away. For others, it brought a whole new meaning to her sharing what was in her backpack on that day.
“Just a baby. She had a lollipop and a Lunchable,” another TikTok user wrote.
“This could be in a museum seriously,” a commenter added. “A time capsule of a horrible day.”
She was given back her belongings months after the shooting.
Cindy explains in her video that she has had the backpack for years and that when she first opened it up, that’s when she took out the old Lunchable that had gone uneaten the day of the shooting. But sharing a video of herself going through the pockets and compartments was a new experience. And, she says, her backpack wasn’t immediately given to her following the tragedy.
“This was 27 years ago, I was a freshman at Columbine High School, and I was 15 years old” Cindy says. “This backpack is exactly how it was that day. Everything that we left in the school that day was returned to us a couple of months later.”
People actually asked for proof that she was at Columbine High School.
@littlestickerhoodshop Replying to @BiggT👅 I mean talking about it and showing people memories has always been a way of healing for me so thanks for another opportunity to do so! #columbine #wearecolumbine ♬ Gamelan Bali Indonesia Thailand(955210) – Kei
After some users questioned that Cindy was actually a student from Columbine High School during the shooting in 1999, she posted a follow-up video to share proof. In that video, she shared more things she saved from that day, including the gym clothes she wore while hiding in a closet with her class and numerous local newspapers with coverage of the shooting on the front pages.
But, as someone commented on that video, “Asking for proof is WILDLY INAPPROPRIATE.”
“It breaks my heart that so many are cruel and don’t believe that it even happened or that you were there,” another user commented.
READ NEXT: Trans Teen Kills Mom & Brother Then Leaves Home & Kills 5 Students in Devastating School Shooting
